State senator seeks Black Caucus records

Friday

Mar 30, 2012 at 12:01 AMMar 30, 2012 at 11:37 AM

State Sen. Shirley Smith yesterday blasted the president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus for allegedly declining to release the organization's financial records in the wake of a caucus member being indicted on bribery and other charges.

Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch

State Sen. Shirley Smith yesterday blasted the president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus for allegedly declining to release the organization’s financial records in the wake of a caucus member being indicted on bribery and other charges.

Smith, a Cleveland Democrat, wants to see contribution and spending records for the Black Caucus Foundation, but she said the group’s president, Rep. Sandra Williams, D-Cleveland, and its executive director have not turned them over.

Smith said the request was made in light of former Rep. W. Carlton Weddington’s recent three-count indictment resulting from an FBI sting. He was an officer with the group before resigning from the House two weeks ago.

“Your continued refusal to make these financial records available is frustrating and it lengthens the dark shadow of suspicion cast upon the organization,” Smith wrote in a letter to Williams dated yesterday.

“When something like this comes up, you want to see who the contributors are and what they’ve been giving to the foundation,” Smith said in an interview. “She absolutely refuses to give me that information. As a member, I should be concerned about who the contributors are, how much money it is and what they’re doing with the money. I have no idea.”

The tension between Smith and Williams is not new. Williams was elected to replace Smith as Black Caucus president in 2009.

When reached last night, Williams said she had not yet seen the letter. She said Smith has not been an active participant in the caucus since 2009. “Since then, all she’s done is make false allegations about everything going on within the organization.

“I think it’s just a fishing expedition, and she’s going to use you and other media outlets,” Williams said. “She’s tried to get members to do and say some things in the Black Caucus, and they’v e all told her they are not supporting her in those frivolous claims.”

The Black Caucus, consisting of most black members of the General Assembly, runs a political-action committee that accepts contributions and makes donations to a variety of candidates and Democratic groups. It also runs a nonprofit foundation that is not required to disclose details about contributions and expenditures.

Foundation funds, Williams said, go toward a scholarship program, the salary of caucus Executive Director Branden Smith, the caucus convention and reimbursements if members attend the national Black Caucus convention.

Questions were raised a few years ago about record-keeping and the relationship between the political and nonprofit sides of the group, and leaders hired the law firm of McTigue & McGinnis to organize the situation.

With the firm handling the paperwork, “There are no questions about the records of the OLBC,” Williams said.

Smith, one of the more senior members of the caucus, said she is giving Williams four or five days to reply.

“If she doesn’t respond, I’m going to send a letter to the rest of the members asking her to step down. That’s not the way the president of an organization behaves.”

Williams said unequivocally, “I will not respond to Shirley Smith.” She said Smith is not a full dues-paying member.